Crab apple
Malus spp.
Crab apples are small-fruited apples with spring blossom and round fruits that often stay on the tree into autumn. They include many species, hybrids and ornamental cultivars.
Native range
Malus species originate across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Cultivars may have mixed ancestry.
Typical season
Summer and autumn reference; individual trees vary.
Identification
Check fruit, leaves, flowers and tree form. Small fruit size identifies a common-name group, not one species. Apple seeds are not a foraging ingredient.